General Information

Red ceiba is a tree with a rather wide, spreading crown of heavy branches; it can grow from 6 - 40 metres tall. The somewhat irregular bole is armed with hard, sharp prickles; it can be 15 - 180cm in diameter, and is often buttressed[

Includes a treatment of the Annona. It can be downloaded from the Internet.

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The tree is exploited commercially in the wild as a source of timber. The interest in and planting of red ceiba is restricted to its natural distribution. It was trialled in the Solomon Islands but did not show any promise as a plantation species[

A PDF document, published on the internet. Detailed reports on about 30 species of timber trees from Central America.

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Other Uses

The heartwood is a uniform pale pinkish or pinkish-brown when freshly cut, becoming light to dark reddish-brown upon exposure; it is sharply demarcated from the pale grey to yellowish sapwood. The texture is medium; the grain straight to slightly interlocked; lustre is medium to high; odour is not distinct, but the taste is slightly astringent. The wood is very durable[

An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.

], it contains a hygroscopic gum and the degree of insect attack is apparently related to gum content. It works easily with hand and machine tools; planes to a good surface and polishes satisfactorily; turns and carves well. Timber is corrosive to iron compounds[

An excellent online database of a huge range of trees giving very good information on each plant - its uses, ecology, identity, propagation, pests etc.

].

B. quinata is relatively easy to propagate vegetatively. Large diameter cuttings from semi-mature trees root well. They have been used successfully to establish clonal seed orchards in Colombia, Costa Rica and Venezuela. Best rooting is obtained from cuttings from shoots, which develop following felling of young trees, or from cuttings from stem material of young nursery stock. Sprouting is enhanced when trees are felled at the end of the dry season before leaf flush[